by Pam Staneski
Candidate for State Rep
119th District
I am Pam Staneski and I am asking for your support on November 4.
Why me?
You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give — Winston Churchill. I try every day to live by those words. If the people of Milford and Orange give me the honor of serving them in Hartford they will have a State Representative who will listen and be their voice. I believe that my service to Milford speaks to my dedication to our community.
What is the problem?
Simply put — our economy. Our rankings in all things business continue to slip with current rankings having CT at the bottom of every list — 46th in places to do business, 42nd in infrastructure and transportation, 49th in economy, and 48th in cost of living.
As I knock on doors and listen to the concerns of my neighbors and friends, I hear — where are the jobs, my parents are moving because they can’t afford to live here, the cost of energy is too high, my son is the only one in the family who is employed, we need some relief.
As I visit small businesses I hear — congestion on 95 and 91 hurt our businesses, we don’t have a qualified workforce, energy costs are a challenge, would love to see regulation reform. All of the businesses I visited agree that we need to improve our economic competitiveness in order to create more opportunity.
What difference can I make?
When I watch CT-N (and yes, I do — on a regular basis) I believe that the basic argument that is played over and over is where to focus the efforts and resources of the state — on the economy or the people. I happen to be of a mind that if we focus on the economy we in turn invest in the people.
I will support businesses by blocking new taxes on employers and employees, invest in improving our aging transportation system so that companies can move goods efficiently and employees have safe and convenient commutes.
I will support strengthening of our vocational-technical programs in order to ensure our employers have skilled laborers because businesses do not move to places where there are no workers. Investing in workforce development provides a qualified and quality employee pool from which businesses can pull. Legislators must listen to employers, who hire our graduates and citizens, about the skills they need and desire and then implement policies to ensure those skills are being taught in our schools.
More businesses equal more job opportunities, more people working equals more need for housing, more housing equals more businesses, more businesses equal more job opportunities…
We live in a beautiful state with rolling hills, a magnificent coastline, and majestic rivers. We have great cultural attractions and also have some of the finest educational and research institutions in the world. We are close to major metropolitan centers and their transportation infrastructure. Connecticut should be one of the most desirable destinations for people and businesses in the country, yet we have fewer jobs today than we did 25 years ago. We need to change the way we do business in Connecticut.
I promise to be your voice, listen, learn, and advocate on your behalf.